My First TT. Need some setup instructions.

[BOWm3vHUNTER]

Hello everyone, this is my first post.

I've been camping for many years. I recently "retired" my 18' Jayco pop-up and, just last week, bought a 2012 Jayco Jay Flight Swift 264BH. This weekend will be my first trip in a TT. I went through orientation/walk around but there was so much information I have forgotten most of it after a week. I was hoping someone here could answer a few questions for me and give me a step-by-step (first, second, next, last, etc) "setup process" for after I get my TT leveled.

Here are a few questions.....

•••After I get it leveled what are the next steps to setup so I am completely up and running?
(gas/electric fridge, gas/electric water heater, which hoses to change over, fresh water holding tank, fresh water hose hook up, etc...)
The dealership "de-winterized" it for me but I'm afraid we are gonna drink anti-freeze if I don't do something right.

•••The dealership installed my first sway control and "break controller". I'm not sure how to set it right. They told me that I would "feel" when its set right but since it is my first one I don't know what to "feel". I don't want to burn up my truck and/or trailer brakes.

•••I think I'm pretty clear on the whole grey water, black water process. I bought a bag of orange scented drop-ins, but when do I drop them in and how often? Are there other types of chemicals better than drop-ins?

I apologize for being a TT noob and asking these questions. There was so much information that I was overwhelmed and after a week forgot most of it. I should have did what my wife suggested and recorded the whole thing.
Anyway I appreciate all the help I can get....thank you and I am happy to be here.

[eldermike]

I don't use the water in my tanks for drinking, in 30 years and 5 campers never done that. I know many do but we just don't. We started camping because we showed dogs and one thing you never do with dogs is change their water or food while you have them under the stress of showing them all over the country. When we quit showing dogs we continued the method of taking our drinking water from our home tap in clean 5 gal jugs. So others may have much better suggestions on how to treat your water tank.

To set your brake controller you need to know the effects of your changes. I will set mine to where light pedal pressure locks up the trailer tires. I do this on dirt if possible. Then I find the setting that pushes me meaning the trailer is not braking more than my truck. Now I know what is to little and what is to much. Between these two numbers is something Ideal and you will quickly learn how to choose the best settings from here.

There is going to be folks that don't use any type of chemical in the back tank and those that do. For the most part you can't break down waste in a weekend and there is not a single sent on earth that will cover black tank odors. The procedure you use for emptying your tank is more important that what chemical you use.

[TWP723]

I've never used the tanks in my camper either. We won't use the toilet for #2 ever..unless it's an "emergency". As far as drinking water, I use a filter and regulator and bypass the tank entirely. Brake controllers can be a little finicky. Trial & error mostly. Just get it down and working properly before you head out on the highway.

Just an fyi...I used my video camera on my phone during the walk around and introduction. That way, I could refer back to the video if I had a question. Happy camping!!!

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by BOWm3vHUNTER

Hello everyone, this is my first post.

I've been camping for many years. I recently "retired" my 18' Jayco pop-up and, just last week, bought a 2012 Jayco Jay Flight Swift 264BH. This weekend will be my first trip in a TT. I went through orientation/walk around but there was so much information I have forgotten most of it after a week. I was hoping someone here could answer a few questions for me and give me a step-by-step (first, second, next, last, etc) "setup process" for after I get my TT leveled.

Here are a few questions.....

•••After I get it leveled what are the next steps to setup so I am completely up and running?
(gas/electric fridge, gas/electric water heater, which hoses to change over, fresh water holding tank, fresh water hose hook up, etc...)
The dealership "de-winterized" it for me but I'm afraid we are gonna drink anti-freeze if I don't do something right.

•••The dealership installed my first sway control and "break controller". I'm not sure how to set it right. They told me that I would "feel" when its set right but since it is my first one I don't know what to "feel". I don't want to burn up my truck and/or trailer brakes.

•••I think I'm pretty clear on the whole grey water, black water process. I bought a bag of orange scented drop-ins, but when do I drop them in and how often? Are there other types of chemicals better than drop-ins?

I apologize for being a TT noob and asking these questions. There was so much information that I was overwhelmed and after a week forgot most of it. I should have did what my wife suggested and recorded the whole thing.
Anyway I appreciate all the help I can get....thank you and I am happy to be here.

Congratulations on the TT and welcome to the forum.

My quick answers below...

Use the 'search' function on this site plus you'll be hearing from members. You'll find lots of stuff. And there is no ONE right answer to most of it. You'll find lots of differences. Just take a deep breath, relax, read, and ask questions. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

•••RV Antifreeze is non-toxic (ONLY RV ANTIFREEZE is nontoxic) The winterizing done probably used air and low point drains to remove water from the supply lines. RV antifreeze was probably put only in the sink/shower drains and toilet bowl. Add water to your Fresh Water tank and run water through all the faucets and shower. You can add some bleach to the fresh water, too, to sanitize them. Use the 'search' to find the right ratio and process.

•••I don't know enough about brake controllers to offer suggestions. Sorry.

•••Yes, the mystery of the 'black tank.' Some use chemicals some do not. The key to preventing MOST black tank problems seems to be water. After draining your black tank, add 5 gallons (as a guess) of water.

You'll find lots of stuff when you search.

We've all been where you're at one time or another. Again, just take a deep breath, relax, read, and ask questions.

[clubhouse]

There are many break controllers available, without knowing what you have it would be impossible tell you how to set it up. However it should have come with a manual that will tell you. There certainly some trial and error on getting it set properly and that setting could change slightly over time as you add weight to the TT.

I don't use "friction sway control bar" so I'll leave that for another poster.

Although the dealer de-winterized the TT, I suggest you sanitize the water system. Your Jayco manual will tell you the steps. In general you mix a bleach solution with fresh water in the holding tanks, all they way full, then you run each sink and shower till you smell the bleach water running out. This will ensure the solution is in all the water lines. Let it sit for several hours the drain the holding tank, add fresh water to the tank and circulate it through the lines just as you did the bleach solution. It might take a couple of fills and drains to get all the residual bleach solution flushed. It takes time, typically 8-10 hours for me to complete it on my trailer -- really that is a lot of waiting for fills and drains.

We use our toilet for every we would at home, just less TP. For our black tank we add a couple gallons of fresh water with the chemicals when we first set up, and then again after each dump. I store my TT during the season with a couple gallons of water and chemicals at all times. The chemical loses effectiveness over time, so even if I put it away with chemicals I'll add more when it comes back out for use.

Enjoy, you will get the hang of things very quickly.

[Iraqvet05]

Which brake controller do you have? They should have set up the controller so the trailer brakes firmly apply but do not lock when activated. On the Prodigy controllers (and others I assume) the set point is made by pulling to trailer to 25-30 mph and slowly applying the manual control lever on the unit...if the trailer brakes lock, the gain is set to high and if they don't seem to work at all, the gain is to low. Your truck brakes will not lock unless there is a problem with your truck's ABS system...it is a completely independent from your TT.

On the toilet, fill the bowl about 3 times and flush after each to get rough 3-5 gallons in the empty tank then drop in your orange packet. One packet is enough to treat the tank in the 264. Some people prefer not to use chemicals but the drop in tablets have worked fine for us the past few years.

[Bassdogs]

Ditto on most of the above. Hook up to fresh water [hose] and then open faucets each for a couple minutes. Note if there was RV antifreeze in the system the water will have a pink tint and slight sweet odor. If yes flush for several minutes. You can open the grey water valve and just let the water flow into the tank and out on the ground outside. Good idea to flush out the lines every spring anyway. Also need to see if the water heater has been bipassed. If water tank does not fill, don't turn on the heater or you could burn out the elements. Check manual or call dealer for where / how to open the bipass to let water fill the tank.

Use the search function on the forum and ask specific ?? about different issues. Leveling, trailer brakes, charging battery etc. Its all in there and you can come back to the forum with a followup if something is not answered or it leads you to a more detailed ??.

Best advice is establish a routine and stick with it every time you go out. You may even want to write out a check list. Move slowly, don't rush or you will forget something important like raising the steps before you head out the drive or leave the tv ant on the roof in the upright position. On a recent trip south, I was walking the dogs early in the am and noticed an RV power cable still plugged to the post, but no RV on the other end. Someone closed up in too big of a hurry. Final step before pulling out, do a walk around looking up down and all around. You'll amaze yourself how easy it is to forget or over look some very obvious things. One of my recurring forgets is to run over one or more of my wheel chocks and to overlook the outside temp probe I position on top of one of the tires to feed my in/out therometer.

Take a weekend trip to a local campground and talk to the people there. You won't have any trouble getting a vet camper to bend your ear about rving.

[BOWm3vHUNTER]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet05

Which brake controller do you have?

Thank you everyone for the great feedback and suggestions....

The brake controller they installed is the Primus IQ #90160

[RedHorse1]

Lots of good advise here, It's where I got all mine when we got the first TT. Can't say that I'm a "pro" yet but we manage to stay out of trouble, mostly.
Developing a routine is what we've done.
For setup, after leveling (chocking too).
I let the bride know it's OK to operate the slides and I connect power (so the she can start the A/C).
Next is the fresh water. I may not get to the sewer connections till later in the evening or even the next day although it is good to dump soon after arriving since the drive will "slosh" and stir up the contents and I can get a nice rinse of the black.
Lastly are the comfort and cosmetics (cable hook-up, flag, fence for the wiener-dog) If it's early enough and we don't have hard plans I might get the patio mat and chairs out.

I always tell visitors to use "lots of water" in the toilet, I probably have to dump more often than I should but it's better than the alternative.
I use the sewer packets and will drop one in after setup or emptying the tank although I have been known to forget.

Knowing your dealer "de-winterized" I'd flush lots of fresh water thru, just to make sure. We drink from our faucets with no ill effects (that I can tell). We're lazy campers and always book full hook-ups. I travel with a little fresh water in the tank to flush and hand wash while travelling. I like to sanitize the fresh system once a year of if its sat for 3 months or more without use. If I know we won't be using it for that long I like to drain the water heater.

Bow, I can hear the open road calling you. No, wait. I think it's calling me.

[Upuaut]

Once I am level, I plug in the electric plug, and hook up the fresh water hose. If your water heater is a manual start you will want to light it.

For the water, before your trip and after the winter, make sure you de-winterize by putting the bypass valves back to the summer position. What that means is that there are usually two valves that allow you to bypass the water heater tank so that you use less antifreeze. You will also want to make sure your hot water tank is filled and drain valves closed.

As other have said, flush all taps and toilet with fresh water hose attached until the pink is gone. Be sure to do shower and outside shower, hot and cold.

I then like to add some fresh water and bleach to the fresh water tank and run the taps again a bit, then let stand to sanitize, then drain, fill and flush again.

Once the bleach smell is gone, you are good to go. Don't forget the toilet.

One of the things new campers often don't do is handle the grey / black / dumping correctly. I always flush the toilet to add water to the black tank and put in some of the blue chemical before I start a trip so it sloshes around and cleans the tank.

When you hook up your sewer hose - DO NOT open the valves. Leave them closed.
As the grey and black get filled you may find you need to dump the grey several times before the black is full. If the grey gets full, dump it and close the valve again. I don't recommend leaving the grey open unless you use a ton of grey water.

When it is time to leave, I dump the black and grey - full or not. I flush the toilet to fill the black up to full even if it is only 1/4 or 1/2 full. Usually my grey is pretty full anyway.

To dump, open the black and make sure your sewer hose has a nice straight incline into the sewer. Once the black is finished, open the grey and let it flush the sewer hose. When completely done, close the black and grey valves and then flush the toilet to add a few gallons of water to the tank and add the blue chemical. Then as you drive it self cleans again.

[Hattie]

I am attaching a generic PDF of our check-list; be gentle for as the DW, I may not have stated some of the steps the way my DH would. The reason for doing this was to help assist as much as possible without sounding like a nag ~ this takes the personalities out of the picture.

We purchased a red folder with page protectors to store the print-outs; we keep it in the cabinet right inside the door where the Jayco bag is with all instructions. In the same folder are checklists for what we need to bring (food, personal items), do (buy, fix, punch list for Jayco dealer), and campsite records (directions, preferred site numbers,).

These checklists will be useful when our son borrows the TV /TT since this is more complex than the tent-trailer he inherited; he hasn't gone with us yet to experience what all needs to occur with this fancier set-up!

[Tex1961]

This might help you... These are the list's I use when heading out on a trip.

RV CHECKLIST FOR SETTING UP

Level side
Chock wheels / x-chocks
Disconnect Hitch / Chains / Power
Level front to back
Set all stabilizers
Plug in 30a power
Hook up water
Verify hot water tank has water
Turn on LP gas
Turn on hot water heater
Turn on refrigerator

Pre-Trip

All items secured inside
Empty all trash
Cabinets closed
Secure all windows
Refrigerator turned off
Hot water heater turned off
Furnace / AC turned off
All lights, fans turned off
Lower antenna
Awning rolled up
Water lines removed
Electric unplugged
Retract entry steps
All stabilizers and x-chocks up and removed
Hook up WDH and Anti-sway
Check brake and blinker lights
Remove wheel chocks
Have dump hoses ready to go

[tjpolsin]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

There are many break controllers available, without knowing what you have it would be impossible tell you how to set it up. However it should have come with a manual that will tell you. There certainly some trial and error on getting it set properly and that setting could change slightly over time as you add weight to the TT.

I don't use "friction sway control bar" so I'll leave that for another poster.

Although the dealer de-winterized the TT, I suggest you sanitize the water system. Your Jayco manual will tell you the steps. In general you mix a bleach solution with fresh water in the holding tanks, all they way full, then you run each sink and shower till you smell the bleach water running out. This will ensure the solution is in all the water lines. Let it sit for several hours the drain the holding tank, add fresh water to the tank and circulate it through the lines just as you did the bleach solution. It might take a couple of fills and drains to get all the residual bleach solution flushed. It takes time, typically 8-10 hours for me to complete it on my trailer -- really that is a lot of waiting for fills and drains.

We use our toilet for every we would at home, just less TP. For our black tank we add a couple gallons of fresh water with the chemicals when we first set up, and then again after each dump. I store my TT during the season with a couple gallons of water and chemicals at all times. The chemical loses effectiveness over time, so even if I put it away with chemicals I'll add more when it comes back out for use.

Enjoy, you will get the hang of things very quickly.

Brake controllers - just like when you check that all the lights work when you hook up the trailer, check to make sure the brakes work when you start driving by using the manual override on your controller. All your tires should grab immediately.

ditto what was said about sanitizing the freshwater tank. do this at the start of every season else your water might taste like plastic.

black water tank - use a full toilet bowl of water everytime you flush and use RV toilet paper as this stuff breaks down quicker. follow the directions on what ever type of black water chemical you use (tabs or liquid). Then only drain it when it's full (then again at the end of the season). I have ended up with "turd mountain" in my black tank more than once by not following my own advice.

Grey tank - I use black water chemicals in this tank too. keeps the tank from stinking.

Other advice on this thread and on this forum are a great place to start.

Tim

[Nighthawk 96]

This is my list; you can modify it to suit your situation
Always make sure you chock the wheels. I almost had my trailer roll
into the creek behind my house once!

Checklist for Breaking Camp


Stow folding chairs
Stow Grill, Grill Cart and Propane Bottle
Stow Water Hose
Stow Sewer Hose
CATV disconnected

A/C, heater and blower off
Refrigerator on gas
TV antenna down

Secure all loose items and lamps
Stow shower & bathroom supplies
Empty & stow trash can

Secure all windows & ceiling vents
Cabinets closed
All lights & fans off

Water heater off
Awning secured
Slide retracted

Electric disconnected & cord stowed
Secure rear door grab handle

Jacks up
Hitch locked & secure, bolts and balls tight
Spring Bars, safety chains and cable secure
Sway Bar tightened

Lights & brakes checked
Pull rig off levelers if any
Chocks and levelers removed & stowed
Power hitch up
Boards Collected and stowed, Picnic table walk around
Final walk around, all compartments secured

[lucemw]

How do you drain brake air tank on my 2016 Seneca? Thanks

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by lucemw

How do you drain brake air tank on my 2016 Seneca? Thanks

Welcome to the forum. You would get a better response to your question if you started a new thread in the motor home sub forum.